Restoration
by ThomE.Gemcity-06
Summary: Sequel to BLAME. A week after the events that had taken place in Blame; confrontations are made, fights are had and past secrets are revieled. Refrence to Janto, Owack. And slight Owanto? a/n: Mentions of abuse and violence.
1. BG  R: Part 1

**a/n: Takes place shortly after the events form BLAME - no Episode Tag.**

**Restoration  
>Part 1 <strong>

It had been a week since what Owen could only consider the Slip—it was a childish name for something as big as what had come to his realization. Owen had always thought that Ianto and Jack's relationship was perfect; Jack would go out on a Hunt, Ianto would stay at the Hub, Jack would come back and then they would go into Jack's office and take care of business. Owen had never seen them fight before, not even argue; they always got along and were very affectionate to each other and from the looks of it they loved each other.

Owen thought about it; really thought about it for a second. "_I get to spend more time with the man that I love—even though he's in love with the only person here who __**isn't **__available to him!_" He figured out a while ago that the person that Jack must have been in love was Gwen, as she was with Rhys yet she and Jack had this thing. So did that mean that Jack didn't love Ianto, and that was why he beat him? But no, Owen knew that Jack must love Ianto in his own way. And Ianto—Ianto was literally and physically head-over-heals in love with Captain Jack Harkness, Jack owned his soul. Ianto would actually do anything for Jack, and letting Jack beat him nearly unconscious before going back to him would be one of them.

Owen had tried multiple times to corner Ianto, but they were never alone. Owen was either on a Hunt or there was always someone else in the Hub, making it so that Owen had no way of confronting Ianto. But today, as Owen looked around the Hub, he realized that he and Inato were the only two there.

"Ianto?"

Ianto looked up from his journal at Owen. It had only been a week since the Slip and the bruises around his eyes was already fading to yellow, the split on his cheek was scabbing, he had a few cracked ribs as well as a broken one, which were wrapped tightly and like his eye, the bruises that covered his torso were also a dim yellow. Ianto had been trying to avoid the team in general, mostly Owen though—because of the looks that Owen kept sending him, whereas Gwen and Toshiko looked at him with concern—not willing to breach the subject of which only Owen had unintentionally been witness to. But Ianto couldn't dislodge himself from this now; he was cornered—and Owen knew it too.

"Ianto," he said again, this time it wasn't a question as much as it was a command of sorts.

Ianto stayed where he was, on the couch with his ankle crossed over his knee. Supporting his journal, with his pen poised, frozen in mid stroke. He continued it, before the ink could clot and while he had his face turned down, he forced his expression to be calm and in control. He set his pen down in the crease of his book and looked up at Owen.

"Yes, Owen?" he said, his voice polite with a hint of curiousness.

But Owen wasn't buying it, he knew better than that and he knew that Ianto knew better than that, but by the bull-headed expression on Ianto's face, he knew that the other man was not going to budge. He crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at Ianto, showing that he knew.

"We need to talk." he told Ianto.

"We do?" Ianto furrowed his brows, "Whatever about?"

"Cut the crap, Ianto!" Owen told him. "You know exactly what this is about."

"You're right!" Ianto agreed, closing his journal with a slap and slamming it down on the table top in front of him. "I know exactly what this is about, but what I also know is that it's none of your business." he stood, coming around the table to stand in front of Owen.

His heart was beating fast with ache, and as well as being upset with the current situation, Ianto was upset with himself. He had been able to hide it before; it was easy because no others knew beside Jack and himself. But when Ianto had said what he had said to Owen and Jack had over heard, the Captain wasn't able to control himself—and Ianto had understood that. He would have been fine with that, if he had had enough mind to order Owen to leave. Because now that Owen knew—now that he knew what went on—it felt as if everything that they had worked so hard for, that he deserved—was now falling apart, his world going off kilter.

"Jack and my relationship is none of your business, just as what had happened between you and Gwen was none of my business!" Ianto turned then, rushing from the Hub before more things could be said.

Owen stared as the cog door rolled closed and the Hub was once again sealed off to the world above. He was speechless—Ianto knew about that fling that he and Gwen had had? Not even Jack knew about that, so how had Ianto?

Owen shook his head, running his fingers through his dark hair; it didn't matter now, it was over and done with. He turned, intending to—well he didn't know what he intended to do now; the air that filled the Hub felt awkward around him—suffocating even. He fingers went through his hair once more as he sat heavily on the couch where Ianto had moments ago occupied. He leaned back; about to close his eyes when something caught his eye.

Owen sat back up; right in front of him on the table top was Ianto's journal. He turned his head, giving the paper back book a side long glance. He knew that he shouldn't, it wasn't right to read something as personal as this that belonged to someone else. It wasn't right, but Ianto wasn't here. Owen picked it up, the worn leather smooth at his finger tips. Owen puffed out his cheeks as the pros and cons ran rapidly through his mind, trying to figure whether it was worth it or not.

He knew that what had happened a week ago was his fault. He had also guessed that what had happened between Ianto and Jack had been a returning occurrence—if only the way that the both of them had acted so cavalier about the whole thing. But he knew that he had caused it this time, that he was to blame for the injuries that Ianto had sustained.

It was his question of _what the hell_? that urged him to opened it, the page marked by Ianto's pen. He took a breath before looking down at the half filled page; Ianto had said that it wasn't his business, but that was wrong—this was his business because Owen felt responsible. A man should never hit a woman, Ianto may have been a man, but that didn't make it right either. Inato's handwriting was need and perfectly scripted, exactly like Ianto always was.

_**09/12/11**_

_Owen won't stop staring, and it's starting to get to me. I have avoided him thus far, but the only reason for that was because the others were around. But now with them gone and the Hub empty save the two of us it's only a matter of_

It cuts off there and Owen knows it's because that was when he came up to Ianto. This entry didn't give him anything, so he flipped back a few pages wanting to get to the good stuff. Something that would tell him what the hell was going on. How Jack could have done such a thing and how Ianto could just take it like that, and perhaps discover why Owen couldn't even move and defend Ianto when he had the chance.

_**09/08/11**_

_Gwen and Tosh were shocked and concerned when they had come into the Hub and discovered my injuries. I lied to them of course, how could I tell them what had happened? They wouldn't understand, just the same way that Owen didn't. When I told them that while they were away, we went after a Weevil and that was how the damage was done. Jack didn't contradict me and neither did Owen even though he had looked so uncomfortable. So with neither of them denying it, my story was believable. Not that it would have if they hadn't agreed; I knew how to lie since I was just a kid, able to twist the truth and make anything believable even if someone said it before me and it wasn't._

Owen had remembered that day four days ago, and what Ianto had written was true. He had been uncomfortable and awkward and very concerned and guilty. Owen had known that that could have been his chance to get everything out in the open. Figure out why the hell it had happened. The girls would have demanded the truth about it too, but maybe even if Owen had said something they might not have even believed him. Ianto had never lied before-or so Owen had thought-so they would have believed him over Owen whose record was not a clean. The guilt of not saying anything and of knowing what he knew was eating at him, gnawing at his heart and his head. Owen turned back a few pages more until he found the entry written on the day that the Slip had happened. The script this time looked forced and a little unstable, like Ianto was writing through his emotions; his hand shaking just a bit and he pressed down harder on the page to stop it from doing so.

_**09/05/11**_

_It had happened again, it wasn't really unfamiliar to yet it wasn't familiar either. I supposed that that was good, in all the years that I had been at the Hub and had known Jack this had only happened twice before. Those other times there hadn't been witnesses, but as the saying went __**"third times a charm**__". Owen had been there this time and I was surprise that Jack hadn't confronted the doctor thus far. Maybe he didn't to make Owen understand, I'm still not quite sure. Owen has been standing that spot for awhile now, and I'm pretty sure that he's in shock. I want to go up to him and ask if he's okay, but I'm afraid of how he might look at me now. Might think of me now as someone who was even weaker than before, the wimpy tea boy. It hurt but I could understand how he wouldn't understand. I had told one of Jack secrets, one that I had told him that I would never say out loud to anyone, so how had this happened? Owen was upset and he was yelling, taking it out on my coffee machine. I tried to force myself not take the bait; I knew that he was upset about the circumstances. But what he was saying was upsetting me more than I wanted to admit. _

_It just came out, the fact that Jack was in love with someone else other then me. I don't consider what Jack did abuse, or assault or anything like that. What he did was just what people did when they saw red, when you meet the person that slept with your wife or your husband. Just a spurt of anger. I knew that the instant that Jack had calmed down that he had regretted what he had done, that he was trying to apologize. I did forgive him, instantly-even well it was in motion. Jack wasn't a violent person and I hope that Owen would understand that-and just like that I had forgiven Owen too._

Owen didn't know what to think or say. He was sure that even after he read what Ianto's heart had pored out onto the page that his opinion on that matter had not changed. Owen may have only been in love once to his fiancée, but he knew that if you loved a person-no matter what-you would never do something like that, ever. With a weak heart and still confused, Owen flipped back through the rest of the journal. There were no more entries about any hitting, though Owen hadn't expected there to be-this journal was only a quarter filled and the leather that bound it together was still stiff form lack of use. The other pages were filled with less personal stuff; missions that the team had been on, injuries and the like.

He gently closed it and set it on the table, the guilt inside of his continuing to build. Now he had actually come to fully realize how much of this was his fault-all of it, he had estimated. Owen found it hard to keep his fits of anger inside, after all he always reacted before he thought and that was what he had done that day. He had always picked Ianto, he realized too, because he always seemed like an easy target.

Owen's breath was turning heavy as he had thought and remembered about all of the times since Ianto had joined _Torchwood 3_ that he had picked on the kid. And he had realized that it was more than he could count. Each and every time Owen realized that Inato had had nothing to do with the situation that had made his so angry and frustrated, but that the man had just happened to be there. _Wrong place_, _wrong time,_ Owen thought. He knew that he needed to talk calmly and adultly to Ianto, and that he had to do it soon before this threw him over the edge.

**Note: hoped you liked this first part in the continuation of "**_**Blame"**_**, there will be more chapters, though I'm not sure how much yet. Please review!**


	2. BG  R: Part 2

**a/n: Warning, if you are a major Jack fan then you may not like what you read in this chapter and the ones after. I thought about just making Jack have a temper, but decided to make this a real Owen and Ianto fic, so Jack is going to be a real asshole**—**pardon the language; so keep that in mind and please don't hate me for it.**

**note: This chapter and the rest kinda focus on the fact that Owen is dead, since Blame was based on the episode where Owen was shot and died, but then Jack brought him back with the other Resurrection Gauntlet**—**so you'll hear allot of that.**

**Restoration  
><strong>**Part 2**

Owen had wandered out of the Hub—irresponsible, he knew. Rift activity could be happening right now and there was no one there to report it, though he was sure that Tosh had a portable connection to the Hub's computers. Owen found himself sitting in a corner booth of the bar on the corner of _Fourth _and _Main street_. An empty cup in his hand and a half bottle of whiskey on the table, he wanted the hard stuff. For the life of him, he didn't get why he hadn't done this sooner. But after half an hour he realized exactly why he hadn't done exactly this; he was dead. Owen couldn't believe that for the past week he had actually forgotten that fact. He didn't sleep, couldn't eat, he didn't go to the bathroom, his heart didn't beat and his blood didn't flow, and sometimes he would panic over the fact that he didn't need or have to breath in the state that he was in.

The reason why he didn't drink, or eat, wasn't because he didn't have any taste buds that worked, but because if he ate or drank it would just sit in his stomach bubbling and grumbling and gurgling. The gas would sit there and if he didn't get whatever was in his stomach out, one way or another, his stomach would over time expand and he would probably explode. That wasn't a simple thing to forget, but after what happened at the Hub, Owen felt as if him in his own dead body was nothing.

What had happened to him was so Torchwood that it had actually sunk in the way that all the things that happened at Torchwood did, without your real notice. But what had happened to Ianto, Jack hitting him; that was so mundane and possible in the normal world that it was a shock. And though Owen may sill have his thought process, and may not be able to feel anything physically, he sure as hell seemed to feel thing rather emotionally now—the reason was because he couldn't feel anything else. And Owen wasn't implying that he felt the way that he did because of the Slip, because if this had happened when he was still alive he would still feel the way that he did—guilty, confused, angry and even scared—and maybe if he was still alive he might have actually stepped up, instead of being the nervous little dog that he was, and actually becoming more than a little fearful of Jack.

Since the Slip, Owen hadn't actually been alone with Jack, and for that the doctor was very thankful. He had no idea what Jack would say to him or how he would act, hell, Owen didn't even know what he would say or do either for that matter. But right now it wasn't about Owen and it wasn't really about Jack, this was about Ianto. Jack was implied—and Owen would make sure that he paid his does—but what mattered at the moment was Ianto, whatever was happening and whatever he was feeling, that was what this was all about, whether the Welshman liked it or not.

Finally deciding that after drinking a quarter more of the bottle, that alcohol was never going to do anything—he was never going to get the buzz, the one that made him happy as well as dull things—the latter was what Owen used it most for. Pills were out of the picture too, as well as injections. It wasn't the physical pain that he needed to numb, hell, he had broken three of his fingers earlier that week and Gwen had to point it out before he even noticed—they were never going to heal, so long as he was alive or dead or whatever he was considered—because it was the emotional part of him that he wanted dull and to numb, to feel absolutely nothing for a while, to have cotton in his brain, for a cloud to be in there.

But he was sure that that was never going too happened.

Owen stood from the booth, tossing a few bills on the table top before leaving via the back. He took off his jacket and folded it before he put it down on the cement by the wall—it wasn't as if he could get cold in the first place. He did a headstand, just like the one he did in the cell with Jack before and waited. He could feel the liquid in his stomach bubble and gurgle as it slowly worked its way back up his gullet. He counted to a slow five before he opened his mouth as wide a he possibly could. A spray of clear liquid arced from his mouth, traveling at least three feet before it splattered onto the concrete. He fell back onto his feet and stood, forcing a breath into his lungs so he could cough the remnants of the whiskey away and blow the liquid form his nose. He had no idea what his breath smelled, having no the sense of smell either anymore, so he popped a piece of gum into his mouth. He always carried a pack in his pocket because of that, as well showering every morning and lathering himself with deodorant and sprays.

With is hands buried deep into the tight confines of his jean pockets, Owen took from the alley and started to walk, his way illuminated by far and between street lamps.

With nothing to dull his mind and hinder his thinking process, his mind was a flurry. He had to find a way to fix this, to fix what was his fault. To apologize to Ianto for causing this and all of the things that he had done to Ianto in general. Hopefully get to the bottom of why the hell Jack had done what he had done and mend the relationship between the three of them if possible.

Owen stopped and pulled his hands from his pockets and pinched the bridge of his nose—for someone who couldn't feel, he sure had a headache. He looked up from the ground and realized that he was standing in front of someone's flat and his other hand just came from the door bell. Owen looked around himself in a panic; he had no clue as to where he was. He turned to leave, maybe run before it was too late, but as it turned out it was too late, him spending too much time in his little panic.

The door behind him opened and light streamed out, "Oh. What do you want now, Owen?" his voice sounded tired and subdued, no real emotion in there.

Owen was frozen for a second before he slowly turned back around to Ianto, his eyes slightly widened. Owen had no idea or recollection of how he had come here; he didn't even know that he knew where Ianto even lived. Owen's mouth was slightly open, trying to get his vocal cords to work; it was just like at the Hub—like everything just fell out of his ears. Ianto looked at him, his posture stiff as he raised a perfect brow at Owen, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable. Owen looked at him, now just noticing the fact that Ianto wasn't in his usual suit but instead a pair of green pajamas bottoms and a blue long sleeve, his feet bare and his hair slightly mussed.

"Uh," Owen finally croaked out, "Can we talk?"

Ianto's eye brows rose in surprise, why? The doctor wasn't sure—maybe because he had finally spoken and like two minutes. But then they came down, level over his eyes and Ianto's jaw clenched, his muscles bunching. He was silent for a longer period than Owen had been until finally,

"Come in; it's late and getting cold outside."

Owen looked confused for a second. "I'm dead, I don't get cold."

Ianto sent him an exasperated look. "Do you want to talk or not?" the Welshman demanded.

Owen just barely stopped himself from slapping his forehead; maybe being dead really was effecting his brain and thought patterns. He gave nod, slipping past Ianto in the doorway and into his flat. Ianto closed his door and padded after him. There was a short hall that from the door and after a few steps to the left was the kitchen further down the space opened into the living room, from there, there was another hall which Owen assumed had the bedroom and bathroom. He stopped midway between the kitchen and the living room, pressing again the wall and letting Ianto choose where they went.

Ianto looked at him from the corner of his eye as he passed Owen and into the living room. He took a seat on the red love seat that was next the matching chair and looked expectantly at Owen. Owen stood that the entrance of the living, not sure whether it was better to stand or to sit. He hands went up, intending to put them in his Jacket pockets—figuring he could clench them into fists out of Ianto's sight—but came up empty.

Ianto looked at him. "Where's you Jacket?"

Owen looked down at himself a realized that he was just wearing his over shirt. "I must have forgotten it at the bar." he said—_the alley behind the bar_, he corrected himself silently.

"I thought you couldn't drink." Ianto said in confusion.

"I can't," Owen opted for sliding his hands into his jean pockets. "I was halfway through a bottle of whiskey before I even realized where I was."

Ianto didn't comment and instead cut to the chase. "What I had said earlier in the Hub was the truth, Owen. Mine and Jack's relationship is none of your concern." he stood from the couch when Owen spoke,

"That's where you're wrong." the doctor said firmly. "It is my concern because it's my fault."

"You didn't so anything wrong." Ianto said, his shoulders slightly tense.

"If I had left you alone, if I had never opened my mouth . . ." Owen shook his head.

"You didn't do anything." Ianto insisted, "I was the one who said something that I shouldn't have and I paid the consequences."

Owen looked at him aghast. "How could you even say that, Jack _beats_ you and you let him!"

Ianto's whole body stiffened and he stared straight at Owen. "You read my Journal," he realized and if Owen could pale he would have. "That's my personal property!" Ianto exclaimed, his tough exterior cracking.

A nervousness corked the corner of Owen's lips. "I had to," Owen started.

Ianto glared at him. "You had no right."

"Well, maybe if you would stop avoiding me and talk, it never would have happened." Owen told him, "We may not be the best of friends, but this is serious."

"You're right," Ianto agreed and Owen was surprised. "We aren't friends." okay, so that wasn't surprising.

"Look, I know that I've always been an asshole—especially since I died. The truth is that Jack scares me, Gwen would kick my ass and Tosh would get depressed, so that leaves you." Owen paused and Ianto stayed silent. "Don't ask how I know, but I know that you can take it. But a week ago . . ."

"What you had said hit deeper than you realize." Ianto told him, a slightly pained expression passed over his face before he got it under control. "I knew that you were just upset about the fact that Jack took you from the field and that I was _'taking your place'_. I thought that I was just keeping your spot warm while we figured out how to fix this. But what you said, about me and Jack and that I now had everything and you had nothing . . . You guys only think of me as the Tea Boy, that all I do is clean up after you—but I can do so much more than that, be more than that." Ianto couldn't believe that he was actually saying this—and to Owen no less.

"I was jealous," Owen admitted when Ianto didn't say anything more, lost in the emotion. But he looked up when Owen said this, though his gaze was full of suspicion. Owen looked away from the piercing gaze as he spoke, his voice lower than usual. "Your relationship with Jack—I'm not jealous of the sexual part, but he pays attention to you and cares for, keeps you in the Hub to keep you safe instead of sending you to your potential death. I mean look at me! That night, the gun could have been pointed at you, luckily it was pointed at Martha and I shoved her away in time. I'm dead Ianto, but I'm alive at the same time; I should be dead, wished that I was dead because at least I'd actually be something real. Jack loves you, in his own way—_maybe_; but that doesn't give him the right to hit you, you should never lay a hand on the people that you love, Ianto."

Ianto had been a little shocked when Owen had commented on the fact that he would rather be dead than whatever he was now, but when he talked about him and Jack, he felt an ember of anger inside him. Jack did love him and Ianto loved him back, and you do things for the people that you love that you wouldn't do for others. And Jack did love him; he just had a slight temper sometimes. The rest of the team didn't really know Jack, and Ianto wasn't saying that he did know Jack better, but was just saying that he just understood Jack a little. Ianto wasn't saying what Jack did was right and that he stood for people who abused others, but it was different when you were on the other side.

"I've told you this before and I'll tell you again," Ianto said, his voice hard and clear as he spoke. "Mine and Jack's relationship does not concern you, it is none of your business, Owen. Why can't you get that through your thick scull?"

"It's not going through my thick scull, because what Jack is doing is wrong!" Owen told him, his voice going a little high in volume with anger and fear.

Ianto looked at him, his jaw clenched. "What Jack does is none of your business!" he snapped.

"_Au Contraire_! Jack is my boss, the leader of _Torchwood 3_ and how do you expect me to work with him if his judgment is impaired?" Owen said.

"Jack's judgment is in no way impaired." Ianto protested.

"I think that beating you would count as a major judgment call!" Owen shouted back.

"You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"_No_?" he barked, "Then tell me!"

"Jack loves me and I love him, but I guess you wouldn't know anything about that."

Owen's heart may not be beating, but he still felt the hurt pang that resided there at the comment. There had been something that only Jack had known and the rest of the Hub didn't, but he blurted it out any way in the heat of the moment. "I had a _fiancée_ once, a woman that I loved, that I was going to marry and have children with, she was going to be a stay at home mom and I was going to be a real doctor. An alien parasite was taking her over, slowly but surely and each and everyday she would either loose her memory or gain it back. I had no idea about Torchwood back then, just thought that it was a brain tumor. She was in surgery, the parasite was going to be taken out from her brain and everything was going to be okay; she was going to live and we were going to have a family together. But before that could happen Jack barged in and stopped the surgery, letting the parasite take her over and kill her. That was the first time that I had ever loved anyone, and Jack killed her, taking away that love! Ianto, I know that you think that you love him, maybe you actually do and maybe he loves you back, but that love doesn't give him the right to do that to you—no one in this world has the right to that to you or anyone else." if Owen could cry, tears would be running down his cheeks at this moment. "He's bad, Ianto, you have to see it." something flickered through his eye, something so sad and hurt, something old, but so close to the surface.

Ianto was shocked; he had never known that before, not about Owen and especially not about Jack. Ianto would never have thought that he and Owen had something as big as that in common, how could he? He and Owen were never friends and they never talked about anything personal to each other or with anybody for that matter. Ianto didn't know what to do or say as Owen spun around and ran from his apartment, the door slamming shut behind him.

Ianto looked down from the spot where Owen had stood moments before in concern for Owen's safety, to his find his hand had been out stretched, reaching. He let in fall down limply to his side; Owen had looked really upset, more upset than Ianto had ever seen him. He had no idea what the doctor would do in the mood that he was in, it wasn't like Owen could drink away his sorrow, or burry his feelings in sex. Ianto knew that Owen would still have mind enough to not do anything physical—but after all the things that Owen had said, he was concerned about two things: That he may actually try to kill himself._._ And the fact that Owen kept mentioning Jack.

Quickly, Ianto slipped on his shoes and put a Jacket on over his long sleeve shirt. He quickly shut and locked the door behind him before he started to walk at a quick pace.


	3. BG  R: Part 3

**Restoration  
><strong>**Part 3**

He could run, Owen realized, he could run and he'd never have to stop. He would never tire, his muscles would never ache, he would never get hungry or thirsty, he'd never have to go the bathroom—he didn't even have to breathe. He could run away from all of this, put it behind him and forget, just forget about everything. He could take a retcon pill and forget and then run, leaving all of this behind.

Owen ran and he ran, his feet thumping on the pavement. The buildings blurred in the side of his vision and his arm pumped at his sides, his breath was nonexistent. Without the restriction of lung capacity, he was much faster than before.

He ran and he ran.

What had happened with Ianto was not how Owen had wanted this to go down, he didn't know or expect how it was going to go down, but it definitely wasn't supposed to go down like that. It had been disastrous and he had shared more things about himself in the span of those twenty-minute with Ianto then he had with his whole time at _Torchwood 3_. Maybe he had got his point across and maybe he hadn't, but he did know that whatever did happen he was not going to run away or get himself retconned.

He stopped; if he had been alive he would be panting and his breath would form clouds in front him. It probably about two in the morning and it was cold outside the Hub, being next to the water. He would be shivering if he were alive, should have been wearing his Jacket—the Jacket that was in the alley outside the bar on _Fourth _and _Main,_ the Jacket with his wallet and his cell phone. But he wasn't alive and he didn't have his Jacket and it didn't matter at the moment. Owen was going to do what he should have a week ago the instant he had heard flesh on flesh contact coming from inside that office. Owen hoped that Ianto might forgive for this, but he quite frankly didn't give a shit what Jack thought.

The cog door opened before him and he stepped into the Hub, finding it empty to the bone. He stepped in and the door shut automatically behind him.

"Jack?" Owen called out.

There was a pregnant pause before,

"Owen? Is that you?" Jack's head pooped out from behind the railing on the floor above. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Owen looked up at him, his shoulders tense. "I wanna talk to you."

There was a slight pause. "Fine," he called back. "Come up." his head disappeared back behind the railing.

Owen climbed up the ladder, not in a hurry to get up there but he didn't want it to seem as if he were hesitant, even though it was true. This was where if he were alive, his heart would be beating erratically in fear as he entered Jack's office to find the Captain sitting behind his desk, but he wasn't and his heart was still as still could be, _dead_ was more like it.

"Have a seat," Jack told him, but Owen shook his head in decline. "Where's your Jacket?" he question when Owen didn't say anything.

"I forgot it at the bar," Owen told him coldly.

"You're not supposed to drink." Jack told him, his voice firm.

"I know," Owen answered him non to kindly. "And it's not like I need it any way."

Jack gave him a look. "I suppose not."

Owen didn't say anything, and settle for staring at Jack coolly.

Jack stared right back. "What is it that you wanted to talk about, Owen?"

If Owen were alive he would have gave a sniff. "Ianto,"

Now Jack eyes turned hard and cold like ice. "What about Ianto?"

But Owen wasn't stupid; he knew that Jack knew that he knew what he was talking about, so he just silently stared.

"It's none of your business." Jack said back finally, just as coldly.

"You know," Owen said. "I seem to be hearing this allot lately, and I'll say what I've said before: It is my business and you are just going to have to deal with the fact that we are going to discuss this."

"I'm not one to repeat myself, Harper, but I'll do it just this once, so listen up." Jack leaned forward in his chair and folded his hands on the desk top. "Mine and Ianto's relationship has zero and nothing at all to do with you."

"I'm sorry," Owen said, mockingly. "I thought that when you're in a relationship, you don't beat your partner."

Jack growled low in his throat as he stood from his chair and leaned across his desk towards Owen. "I thought that I made myself clear."

Owen stared back, he was intimidated of course, deep down Jack had scared him and that was just when he was being himself, this was a different intensity though. He was intimidated but he didn't outwardly show it, he kept his face blank as a stone wall.

Neither noticed as Ianto entered the Hub, via the invisible lift.

"I think that I need to make myself clear, too, Jack." Owen said back, leaning forward a little too. "What you did was wrong—no, it was so over the top that it was beyond wrong. You are never supposed to touch someone that way; you're never supposed to touch Ianto that way! I don't care if you were born in the 51st century; you have no right to treat Ianto that way."

Jack stepped around his desk and grabbed Owen by the front of his over shirt, and spun them around, pushing Owen back against the desk. Owen didn't move and just stared back at Jack, when he had come here he knew that one of two things could happen or two of two things could happen. This right here or Jack could injure him—severely. So he didn't move, it wasn't as if he could feel physical pain, just the mental scaring of it. Jack pushed him back against the surface of the desk pressing close, his face mere inches from Owen's.

"You're just jealous," Jack whispered harshly into his ear, with just a hint of seduction. "I'm with Ianto now and it's just hurts, doesn't it. Seeing us together, seeing us happy. I threw you aside like the trash you are and got a new version that was way better . . . and younger."

Owen tried to keep his face blank, but the mention of that time and what was happening now had got him remembering. By the smirk-sneer that crossed Jack face, Owen knew that something must have shown in his eyes. He may not be able to really feel anything physically, but the position they were in was too much. He knew that by now his heart would have been beating out of his chest in fear, his breath quick with panic and tears coating his eyes; Owen did consider himself a strong person, but for something's he just was strong enough. Owen tried to push against Jack, tried to get him off, but at the moment Jack held all the strength and momentum.

Jack leaned his head forward, his lips lightly brushing against Owen's as he spoke, "You miss it, don't you? The way that I used to—"

"_Jack_!" Ianto exclaimed in horror and he came upon the scene in the Captain's office.

Jack had Owen pinned against the desk, leaning in real close, his mid-section pressed between Owen's legs—it looked just how it would when Ianto and Jack's make-outs got really intense. Ianto would have thought it had been exactly that—if he hadn't known Owen—and for the fact that as he looked at Owen under Jack and saw the doctor's hands pressed against Jack's chest as if to push him away, the slight tremble that traveled through his body and the fear widened eyes. Jack had frozen but he didn't move off of Owen.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ianto demanded, not even waiting for an answer as he grabbed the back of Jack's heavy coat and with strength pulled Jack off from Owen. He stumbled a step back, not saying a word as Ianto gently took Owen's arm and tugged him up, pulling him behind himself and away from Jack. Owen complied without resistance.

Ianto gave Jack a death glare; his usually soft eyes alit with embers of fury. "I let you lay your hands on me, let you get away with it. But you never touch Owen, never! He tried to tell me, to warn me, but I didn't listen. I thought that I loved you Jack, I really did, but it wasn't the same love that I felt for Lisa." Ianto stared at Jack, his face tight with rage that the Captain had never witnessed before. "I never told anyone and neither did Owen, but what do you think _Gwen_ and Tosh are gonna think after they find out, what do you think Gwen is going to do, Jack?"

Jack stayed silent, a spark of anger in his eyes. Ianto had nothing more to say and he walked past Jack and out of the Hub, keeping his hold on Owens arm and dragging him along. Owen complied again, not able to do anything else and before he knew it, he was in Ianto's apartment and on the couch, a blanket thrown over his shoulders. Owen was in no way cold, but his body was wracked with shivers as he huddled in on himself, pulling the blanket edges close around him.

Inato sat next to him, usually in situations like this he would have given Owen a hot drink, but that was out of the question. So all he could do was sit next to him on the love seat and place a gently and comforting hand on his back. The muscles underneath Ianto's hand twitch before settling down, and Owen was surprised that he hadn't jerked away, not really in the mood to be touched. But he stayed still; only able to go through the emotions and not the motions, but wishing he could. The shudders, the breathes, the beat of his heart, the tears that would coat his cheeks; he wished that he could have it all, despite the fact that it would make him look weak. He wished that he could feel and that he could use those motions of grief and trauma to help this pass over more quickly.

"Owen," Ianto said softly, causing the doctor to take in a forced breath of surprise.

The breath stayed within his lungs and he placed a flat hand on his stomach, pushing down and forcing the breath out of his lungs.

Owen looked over at Ianto, his eyes sullen. "I—I should probably go," he said, letting the blanket slide from his shoulders. He was about to stand when Ianto placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place. Owen looked at him in confusion and surprise.

"Stay," Ianto said, his voice firm.

"Why?" Owen asked. "I've just made things worse."

But Ianto shook his head, his hand still on Owen's shoulder. "That's not true; you made me see things that I refused to."

"At least something good came from all of this." Owen said ruthful.

"Owen," Ianto looked at him with sad eyes. "Tell me what happened, _please_." he added in a soft voice when Owen looked at him with guarded eyes.

Owen wished that he could have sighed, could have let out some of his emotions that way, but he knew that that was never going to happen, so the only thing that he could do was talk it all away—not his usual MO. But it was the only way, and he knew that Ianto should know the truth since it was happening to him. He ran a hand through his hair, it was the best that he could if he wasn't able to sigh.

"After Katie died, I was so broken and confused." Owen started of softly, not looking at Ianto and instead at the carpeted floor.

"I didn't understand what was going on, or how it could be true; the love of my life was dead. The woman that I was going to marry, who was going to have my children and who I was going to grow old was no longer at my side. I was angery too, and everywhere I looked, Captain Jack Harkness seemed to lurk just around the corner, with that sultry smile at the curve of his lips. He was the only one with answers, I don't even know how it happened; one minute I was crumpled on the ground at her grave, tears running down my cheeks and the next thing I know Harkness was on top of me. It just happened that one time, and afterward he hit me—but I didn't care, it was a distraction from the pain that I was feeling for Katie and it was welcome."

There was silence as Owen's gaze still fell on the floor and Ianto found himself rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"Owen," Ianto said after a minute. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Owen gave a snort of duration as he looked up at Ianto. "Would you have believed me?"

Ianto wanted to say yes, that he would have believed Owen the instant the words left him mouth, but the truth was that if Owen had said anything like that, he would have thought that the doctor was just trying to ruin his and Jack's relationship. "I guess you have a point," Ianto conceded. "I don't understand how I didn't notice it." he said more to himself then to Owen.

"If you haven't noticed," Owen told him, "I'm pretty good at concealing things too; you're not the only one that knows how to lie, Ianto." he leaned back on the couch and Ianto came with him. Ianto sat on an angle next to Owen, his fingers picking at a thread on Owen's over shirt.

"Do you love him?" Owen asked suddenly, turning to look at Ianto; he didn't have to say the name for Ianto to know who he was talking about.

Ianto looked up at him, his face a little pale. "I thought that I did," he admitted reluctantly, "After what had happened with Lisa, I was in shock and he was there, understanding and comforting. That was the first time that I had ever slept with another man, and afterward, he hit me."

"That's what he does," Owen told him softly. "He waits until you're vulnerable and weak, takes advantage of you and does what he does for himself, but at the time you think nothing of it because he was "_there_" for you and the pain occupied your mind."

"What do you recon we do now?" Ianto asked.

Owen shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea."

"Do you think that we should tell the others?"

Owen looked at him, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "You said that he was in love with Gwen," when Ianto nodded, he continued, "If anything happens to Rhys, Jack is going to step in."

A look of horror crossed Iatno's face as he realized what Owen was saying. "You don't think that he would intentionally hurt Rhys now that we're out of the picture, do you?"

But Owen shook his head. "Jack's not that stupid. Now that we both know, he wouldn't even think about doing something like that. Not unless he tried to retcon us," he took in Ianto's expression, "I'm not completely sure he wouldn't try."

"Do you think that we should warn Gwen?" Ianto asked in concern.

Owen's face scrunched up in thought. "I think that telling her would only cause problems around the Hub, and maybe we shouldn't get to ahead of ourselves with this."

"We can't just leave it!" Ianto protested.

"Then was do you suppose we do?" Owen demanded; he knew it was harsh but he had to get Ianto to see.

Ianto looked at him, his mouth open as if to say something but no words came out. He shut it, his eyes down cast.

"I know that it's hard," Owen told him, a hand on Ianto's shoulder. "And that you want to do something, to protect Gwen and Tosh from Jack, but it's not that simple. Gwen likes Jack too, more than she's willing to admit; and Tosh would never believe Jack would do something for that, she owes him her life and she wouldn't even allow herself to think anything bad about him." Ianto was crest fallen, and Owen gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "We'll just have to play it out by ear tomorrow at the Hub,"

Ianto nodded silently and without much more talk it was decided that Owen would stay over at Ianto's flat. After what had happened, Owen felt the need to stay, that maybe it would be safer for them to stick together. Ianto bid Owen a quite good night before heading off to his room and climbing into bed, without saying anything and acting without thinking, Owen fallowed after him. Surprise flashed across Ianto young face as he saw Owen in the doorway, but didn't protest as he threw the covers back and Owen climbed in after slipping off his shoes.

It was awkward for a moment through the silence and as they shifted to get comfortable. Ianto found himself reassured and his fear abating slightly as he found himself unconsciously curled up beside Owen. Owen's arm under his neck and Ianto's head laid on Owen's shoulder.

Though Ianto couldn't hear a heart beat, he felt safer in the presence of the doctor. His eyes slowly slipped closed, the last thought in his mind floating away: _Who would have thought that he and Owen could find friendship over something so tragic and dark?_

Owen on the other hand couldn't fall asleep, and he was thankful for the excuse.

**note: Hoped you liked it so far and hoped that you have reviewed lots. It's almost done, just one more chapter I think; I'm going to start writing it tonight and hopefully have it posted before the end of the week. **_**If you didn't unserstand, the very last sentence of this chapter, it just meant: Even if Owen could sleep, he probably wouldn't have been able to any way, so at least now he has an excuse for not sleeping at all.**_

**Review?**


	4. BG R: Part 4

**a/n: Prepare, for this is that last chapter.**

**Restoration  
><strong>**Part 4**

Ianto stretched out, very cat-like in his bed as the early morning sun shone through his bedroom window and onto his bed. His eyes were still closed and he relaxed back against his firm mattress, a hand lightly placed against his still tender ribs. He snuggled closer to the cool warmth beside him, his breath coming out in a content sigh.

"_Ianto_," his name was said softly and gently, all but whispered in his ear.

He blinked open his eyes, not realizing that he had went to bed with Jack last night. But when he shifted and leaned back, looking up at the source of the voice, he realized that it wasn't Jack and instead Owen. And the realization that it was Owen in bed with him caused him to remember the events of the last day and night. Owen coming over to talk to him, him refusing to listen; finding Jack in the middle of doing something very bad to Owen and realizing the truth. Bring Owen back to his flat, and falling asleep in the doctor's arms.

"Owen," Ianto blinked up at the dark-haired man, still not fully realizing who he was in bed with.

Owen looked at him, a quirk to his lips and a brow arched. "You gonna keep staring or are you going to get up and dressed so that we can get this day over with?" he asked.

Ianto looked at him from a moment, uncomprehending. But then his eyes widened and his jumped up in bed. "Owen!" he exclaimed in sudden shock and surprise.

Owen sat up too, running his fingers through his messed hair. "Sleep well?" Owen asked as he threw his legs over the side and sat up, throwing off the covers on the way. Owen wasn't even hinting at having the same reaction as Ianto; he had a long while to get used to the idea of sleeping in the same bed as Ianto, the other man curled to his side—it actually hadn't been the bad, and it was an idea that Owen could get used to.

"Uh," Ianto stared at him, still in a sleep-daze despite his shock. "Pretty well, actually." and he could hear the truth to his own words; he couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well. Definitely not with Jack—Ianto shuddered, reminded of all the times that he slept with that monster—willingly.

"What's wrong?" Owen asked, looking up from his shoes when he felt the shudder travel through the bed.

"Nothing,"

Owen knew that he was lying, but didn't comment on the fact; they had too much to deal with today and if Ianto wanted to talk about it, Owen would listen.

"You should eat and get dressed," Owen told him as he slipped his shoes back on. "I'll be back in half an hour to come and get you." Ianto looked at him with frantic eyes and Owen reached across the bed to lay a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't be that long." he went to pull his hand away, but Ianto grabbed his wrist; preventing him from doing so.

"Let me come with you," Ianto begged.

Owen looked down into those eyes; usually they were brave and strong, resilient. But today, this morning, they were scared and fearful, pleading. He supposed now that Ianto had had time to sleep on it, what had happened the night before was finally starting to hit home.

"If you get ready quick," Owen allowed, "You can come with."

Ianto let out a breath and finally released Owen's wrist. He leapt from the bed in a flurry of action and in no time he was clad in one of his usual suits, despite the situation looking as maculate as he always did. As Ianto had gotten ready, Owen had warmed some butter tarts and Ianto seemed to be stuffing them down his throat as they left his flat and headed for Owen's.

The bar that Owen had tried to drown his emotions in was—as it turned out—between his and Ianto's flats. He peeked inside the alley as they walked by, actually surprised that his Jacket was still lying folded by the wall. He quickly grabbed it when they walked by, and folded it over his arm. Ianto gave him a sidelong glance, but stayed silent.

When they finally made it to Owen's flat, he got right down to business; changed his clothes, brushed his hair and teeth and lathered on his deodorants and sprays. He found a fresh Jacket, despite the fact that he couldn't feel the weather; it was more of a habit than anything else, and fished his cell and wallet from his other Jacket. Owen gave himself a once over in the bathroom mirror before he and Ianto left for the Hub.

On the way there, they devised a plan, or Owen did and Ianto listened attentively.

"When we get there, act normal." Owen told his companion. "Do everything like you would if it were another day. Do your routine, that all it is—act natural as if nothing is wrong with you and you are not uncomfortable. But," Owen said, his finger coming up as he made sure that Ianto was paying strict attention to what he was saying. "Under no circumstance—and if you can really help it, try not to be stuck alone with Jack at any point in time. Try not to go into his office unless he calls you right out and even then I try and make a reason as to why I have to go with you too. If you're down in the Archives, and he comes down there, don't confront him, just try and get away before anything can happen. Okay?" he looked at Ianto, making sure that he got a nod of understanding before he continued to walk. Ianto fallowed him.

So, after they arrived outside the Hub, and Ianto stood by Owen nervously—Owen was nervous too, though the fact that he wasn't really living helped him hide it. He had no idea what was going to happen when they went down, and he hoped that all the things he said to Ianto would work in their favor. This time it was Ianto who gave Owen a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, and Owen gave his a tight lipped smile in return.

They entered the Hub via the shop entrance and Ianto took a deep, controlled breath—Owen wished that he could. But it felt as if he had when Ianto turned his gaze to him, both of theirs locking in a determined gaze—if anything happened, it didn't matter what, they would have each other.

"Ianto," Tosh said, looking up from the computer screen when the cog door opened. "You're late." it wasn't an accusation, more like a shocked statement. Ianto was never late, if anything he was always early. Tosh didn't even comment on Owen's lateness, the doctor was never early or on time.

Ianto looked at her, his hand going up to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah, I kinda had a late start this morning." he admitted, a nervous quirk to his lips.

"We all have those." Tosh agreed as Ianto walked by and into the kitchen, but not before he sent a look at Owen.

"Is Jack here?" Owen asked casually to no one in particular.

"Why?" Gwen asked from her desk. "Need something?" she asked curiously.

"Nope," Owen said, his hands clasped behind his head as he headed off towards his autopsy.

"He's in his office!" she called to him belatedly.

Owen slipped off his Jacket and put on his doctors coat, silently hoping that today there would be any amount of small mercies. As it turned out, someone or something was listening to his silent pleas, because through out the whole day there was not a Rift alert to be seen or heard. He stayed upstairs, keeping his eyes peeled and made sure he knew where Ianto was at every second.

Ianto himself was doing a pretty convincing job of acting natural, and if Owen hadn't know he never would have saw it. He was all casual smiles, chatting with Gwen and Tosh, cleaning up everyone's messes and making his coffee. Even giving Jack a cup. Though Owen did notice that when he was just facing Jack, Ianto's face turned hard and very unfriendly, his eyes alit with fury and anger. The instant he turned from Jack, he had his mask back in place.

Owen himself would at times catch himself glaring daggers at the back of Jack's head, and Gwen did to at one point; sending him an odd look and his expression would change back to uninterested. She would stare at him for a moment longer before turning back to the work on her desk. Owen would have given a sigh of relief, but glad that he wasn't able to because he was sure Gwen would probably figure something was up.

Despite Gwen's unintentional and unaware involvement in their current situation, Owen was still peeved at her. Jack was the worst monster that Owen knew, and Gwen had fallen for him. Jack was good, really good; he knew how to hide things really well—being alive since the 51st century ought to help with that. He couldn't really blame Gwen for that either, Jack was charming and handsome and flirtatious and everything that would draw a girl to a guy. Owen knew that Ianto didn't blame Gwen either, he was concerned for her—because of what the doctor had pointed out the night before, the glances the other man kept stealthily sending her made the obvious. Gwen had no idea what was going on; Tosh, even if she knew would be too panicked to do anything; and Jack was just a plain old asshole.

It's late and they ordered pizza; Owen's jealous, he can see how good it looks and he remembers how it smells and tastes. He hasn't had pizza for months now—a record as it turns out, and he feels as if he's in withdrawal. He knows that he's never going to eat it again, and he watches Ianto intently as he takes a delicate bit from his slice, as if he could use Ianto's expression to relive what it was like to eat pizza again. It doesn't work, but Owen's glad that it's him in this situation and not Ianto.

After his first slice, Ianto goes to the kitchen and makes everyone's coffee. They each have their own mug, and Ianto used to make five cups of his famous coffee, but now it's only four—Owens' mug sit on the shelf collecting dust; the doctor's sure that he's in withdrawl from Ianto's coffee too. Owen fallows Ianto into the kitchen, Jack, Gwen and Tosh no even noticing his absence.

Ianto already had three cups prepared; Toshiko's, Jack's and Gwen's. Ianto's back was turned to him; he always prepared his own drink last. Owen saw this as his chance, and quickly took the two white, rounded pills from his over shirt pocket, and slipped them into Jack's coffee. The heat from the coffee would dissolve the pills in a minute or so, and all Owen had to do was stall—which was easy enough because he's been wanting to check in and see how Ianto has been doing.

"Ianto?" Owen spoke quietly as Ianto turned and placed his cup onto the tray with the others. "How are you doing?"

Ianto stared down at the cups for a moment, his shoulders stiff. He looked up at Owen, his eyes desperate. "I don't think I can do this, Owen." he said under his breath. "I can't stand for it to be like this every day, I barely holding it together now, but for the rest of me life?"

Owen's hand came to his shoulder, his touch reassuring. "Don't worry," he said, his voice confident. "Tomorrow will be a different day."

Ianto looked at him, his brows knitted together in confusion. "What do you mean?" Owen didn't say anything, and continued to stare into Ianto's eyes. "What are you planning?"

Owen hand moved from his shoulder, and to his neck, cupping Ianto's cheek. Without even realizing it, Ianto leaned into the touch, taking great comfort from it. "I said that I would take care of everything." his eyes glanced suggestively to Jack mug on the tray.

Ianto fallowed his gaze. "_Wha_—?" he started but then he realized what Owen meant. His eyes were wide as he stared back at the doctor.

"Jack will drink his coffee and he is going to forget the past twenty-four hours," Owen told him, his tone calm and soothing, "Tomorrow, we are going to come into the Hub and you are going to break it off with him. He is not going to understand, and you are going to tell him that after what had happened last week, you have had time to think and that this was not the kind of relationship that you wanted and it would be better if you two were just colleagues."

Inato stared at him, slightly shocked for a moment before he finally nodded his head. He swallowed, and licked his lips as Owen gently brushed the pad of his thumb across Ianto's cheekbone before he pulled his hand away. Ianto stared at Owen for a moment longer before he picked up the tray and walked from the kitchen; back into the main Hub.

Owen fallowed him a moment later and watched as Ianto handed out the cups, he didn't even hesitate when he handed Jack his and Owen was proud of him. Soon, Jack would finish his drink and the retcon would start to take effect; hopefully after everyone had left. He would loose his memories from the past twenty-four hours, which meant the confrontation that had happened between him and Owen, and him and Ianto never happened.

Owen knew that it was a low blow, but what other choice did he have? What Ianto had said was true; they couldn't live like this; the wondering and the waiting and the fear. Just after tonight he was stressed the hell out, and he had nothing to do to release it. But this way, with Jack not having those memories, there was no waiting and wondering and fear. What had happened the week before had still happened; Owen couldn't risk giving Jack that many retcon pills and removing that much memory—there could be too much damage done to his brain. So he settled for the past twenty-four hours, where he and Ianto would be safe, and Jack wouldn't know the truth. Everything would go back to normal—relatively, and he and Ianto would also have to stop worrying quite so much about Gwen and Rhys.

He and Ianto were friends now, which Owen thought was one of the good things that came from this situation and the fact that Ianto would now be safe from Jack. Owen watched as Jack took a swallow from his coffee; the doctor really thought that Jack was smarter than that, thought that the Captain would have kept a close eye on Ianto and him, but instead he had spent most of his time around Gwen. If anything, that was the one thing that was never going to change. Owen watched as Jack's Adams apple bobbed as the liquid traveled down his throat.

If Owen were alive, at this moment his heart would be beating fast with his anticipation.

* * *

><p><strong>note: I hoped you enjoyed, and the ending satisfied. Please review!<strong>


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